Flood

Today was a strange day...





This morning it was pooring rain. Usually when it rains here, it rains in the afternoons. Also, it mostly only rains hard for a short time. Today, the rain continued to fall for a while.





We were hoping to do something outside if it was overcast today. However, due to the rain, we decided to go to the Singapore Science Center.




We called a taxi cab to pick us up, and we headed out. Brandon was starting to get fussy this morning, and by the time we got in the cab, he was having a meltdown. I thought that once we left the house, he would calm down. Didn't happen. Brandon continued to scream in the cab, so ten minutes into the cab ride, we told the driver to just take us to the Forum. The rain was still coming down hard, and the road was down to one lane. The traffic was horrendous! About fifteen minutes later, Brandon was still going ballistic. At that point, we just told the cab driver to take us home. So, we spent about 45 minutes and ten dollars to go nowhere. Oh, well.



When we got home, Brandon was still throwing a fit, so I took him in his bedroom, and he fell asleep. So strange. He was sleeping by 11 am, and his nap isn't usually until 1 pm or even later. This was the fussiest I think Brandon has ever been. Of course, I worried that he was sick. But, after his nap, he was so hungry that he just kept eating all afternoon. I think our little man might be going through a growth spurt. He is probably just more tired than normal.




www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOFzJ940Bt0

So, we got about 100 mm of rain in 2 hours (about 4 inches). That is more rain than Singapore averages for the entire month of June! Orchard Road flooded, as the video link and picture show. I think we definitely made the right call to skip the science center. We'll definitely go another day. It wasn't a good day for Brandon, and it wasn't a good day to be out needing a cab.

This afternoon, we walked to Clarke Quay and took Brandon to Royce Gym. When we got home, Jo, Jessie, and Jake stopped by for a short visit before bedtime.

Just a very weird, but good, day!

Singapore Botanic Garden

This morning was overcast and rainy. We decided to take this opportunity to do something outdoors. It wasn't raining too badly when we left the apartment, so we took a cab to the Singapore Botanic Garden.

This was my third visit to the garden. I love it there! Today, we went through the rainforest. This was my first time through this part of the garden, and it made me forget that I was in the city. Very relaxing.

We also walked to the children's botanic garden so that Brandon could play in the water sprinker area for a while. He had a great time, and he was so happy to be out of the stroller.

Later this afternoon, we went down to the pool. I also let Brandon run around on the tennis courts with Jessie and Jake.

After we cleaned up from swimming, Dad, Brandon, and I walked to Great World City. We had some dinner there and made a quick stop at the grocery store.

It's so nice to have an extra pair of hands here! Really enjoying having Dad here with us.

Camden Medical Talk and the Forum

Today was the New Moms' Support Group Camden Medical talk. I was interested in attending as the speaker was a dentist. She was there to speak about caring for babies' and toddlers' teeth, as well as your own adult teeth. Since we didn't have any other plans, my dad, Brandon, and I decided to take part in the NMSG function.

Steven took a cab with us to the medical center, and then he went on to work from there.

I really enjoyed the talk. I was able to talk to the doctor for a bit before the presentation began, and Brandon was able to play on the floor with the toys and other children.

We stayed at the talk for an hour, and then we decided to walk to the Forum so Brandon could play for a bit. Grandpa D got to see one of the playgrounds that Brandon enjoys and frequently visits.

After our naps, we went down to the pool for a while. We've been enjoying the pool more lately as there have been many people down there in the late afternoons. Brandon is entertained by watching the other children. He also enjoys playing with all of their pool toys (sand pail, shovel, balls, kick boards, etc.).

After the pool, Dad, Brandon, and I walked to Somerset 313. We had a nice dinner at Din Tai Fung. My dad commented on how much better the weather feels when the sun is not out. We walked home just as it was getting dark. Much nicer than it was earlier in the day!

New for Brandon - He is now working on throwing the ball one handed. He has been watching Daddy and Grandpa D shoot the ball with one hand. It's so cute to watch Brandon grasp the ball with one hand and then launch it with as much power as his little arm has. :)

Asian Civilisations Museum

Yesterday, I think we did too much in the morning. I told Steven that I wanted to take a cab this morning instead of walk, and I wanted to only stay out for a couple of hours.
We stopped by Jo's apartment on our way out of the building. My dad had met Jo, Jessie, and Jake yesterday when they were down at the pool. Today, we stopped by to show Dad their apartment. It is huge!


We took a cab to the Asian Civilisations Museum (UK spelling), which is located near Parliament and across the river from Boat Quay. The museum had many exhibits spanning from ancient civilizations through parts of the 20th century. We didn't realize how many different cultures there have been in this part of the world. It makes us wish we would have been taught more about Asian history in school.

The special exhibit currently at the museum is "Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals." It was a very nice exhibit. There were many stone carvings, as well as very impressive jewells. We saw one emerald necklace that was over 500 carats! Steven, do you remember that our anniversary is coming up in just over a week? :) They also had a coloring station in the special exhibit. What a great idea! Brandon was entertained with the crayons and paper while we took turns enjoying the exhibit.

Again, today, when Brandon took his nap, the rest of us took our naps.

It was overcast this afternoon, and it rained for a very short bit. We took a walk to the Paragon to get out and to let Brandon play for a while. I visited Toys-R-Us to buy Brandon his very own toy, blue Comfort Cab. Such a great souvenir to take home from Singapore!

This evening, we all went down to the pool for a refreshing swim. So needed! Jo, Jessie, and Jake, as well as many others, were down at the pool this evening. Jake said that it was like a party!

So glad that I will have some company this week while Steven is at work!

First Day with Grandpa

Grandpa D arrived safely in Singapore! His plane arrived about 15 minutes early, and he got to our apartment at about 12:40 am. Yay!

In the morning, we decided to go for a walk to show Dad the neighborhood. We walked to along Paterson to Orchard Road, past the Ion, and down Orchard to the Somerset train station.

It was still early in the morning, so we decided to take a train ride down to Steven's work. Brandon and I had never seen Daddy's office, so Steven took us up to his office on the 43rd floor. Steven has a great view from his office. We could see the ocean, and we could see our neighborhood. Brandon made himself quite comfortable in Daddy's office. Oh, no! Not another lawyer!


We left Steven's office and walked along Boat Quay to Clarke Quay. We stopped at Brewerkz at Clarke Quay for lunch, and then took a cab home.

Such a busy morning! We were all exhausted by the time we got home. When Brandon took his nap, the rest of us did too!

In the afternoon, we were all still tired and groggy, but we still decided to take a short walk to Somerset 313 for an ice cream dinner and some grocery shopping. Yum!

Back at home, Grandpa cleaned up Mommy's kitchen for her while she took a nice, quick swim at the pool.

It is so nice having my dad here in Singapore! I think he is enjoying his time here so far, although he is still adjusting to the time difference and the heat. (Grandpa said that it was 92 degrees F when he arrived in Singapore at nearly midnight the night before!)

When Brandon got up this morning, Grandpa was the first one to go into his room. Brandon looked a little confused and shocked, but when Grandpa turned to leave, Brandon cried for him. When Mommy got up, Brandon was playing happily with Grandpa. Brandon has a new best friend!

Grandpa said that Brandon looks close to the same size as when he saw him last at the end of March. However, Grandpa said that Brandon seems much older! Can't wait to see what the Grandmas think of our little man!

Rochester Park Cafe

This morning our Friday playgroup met at Rochester Park Cafe. We had never been there before. There was a large indoor playroom, as well as an outdoor play area. The outdoor play area consisted of a large sandbox and some toys. This area looked a little dirty, so we stayed in the indoor area. The indoor play area was a large room of toys, much smaller but very similar to Royce Gym.

It was S$6/hour for the play. Not too bad. Also, if your child was 18 months or older, you could leave them in the play area. A staff member would watch the child while you enjoyed coffee, lunch, etc. at the outdoor cafe. We'll have to go back with Brandon is a little older. Mommy would really enjoy a nice quiet lunch!

After the kids played for an hour, we had lunch outside. The cafe area was under a large tent with lots of fans. It was comfortable.

This afternoon, Jo and the kids stopped by for a bit, and then we took the kids down to the pool. The pool was a popular place tonight! There were probably ten kids down swimming. As usual, Brandon didn't want to swim for very long, but we had a nice time socializing. I met another mom who has only been in Singapore for a few weeks. She has two children and is looking for things to do. I told her about what we've been doing and told her that in a week or so once my dad is gone, we can go to Royce together.

As the pictures show, Brandon has a hat/headgear fettish. He loves to put things on his head and other people's heads!!!

Grandpa D's flight is due to land in Singapore in three hours! I'm going to try to get some rest now so I can wake up for a bit once he arrives at our apartment. It will be surreal to actually see Dad in Singapore and not just on Skype!

One More Day

This morning, Brandon and I met Jo, Jessie, and Jake down on the tennis courts. It was a nice overcast morning, and the temperature outside was very comfortable. Great opportunity to be outside!

The kids ran around on the tennis courts for an hour. They threw balls and chased each other. Brandon found some sticks to play with. They all just loved running wild!

After Brandon's nap, we took a cab to Laura and Tabitha's apartment. Laura will be going back to the UK next month for a holiday. She won't be back in Singapore until the very end of July. It was very nice to have a playdate with Laura and Tabitha before they leave. We will be looking forward to their return.

Grandpa D will be here tomorrow! We pray that he has a safe trip, and it doesn't feel too, too long! Can't wait!